Experiences with Billet / Location Selection?

[beezgobuzz]

How does it work? Where can officers get stationed? Where do most officers go?

I'm interested in the East Coast, specifically Jacksonville, Key West, Washington DC, and Virginia. I'm open to the West Coast too, but I've lived here my whole life and want a change of scenery. I'd like to hear experiences.

 

[roy359]

How does it work? Where can officers get stationed? Where do most officers go?

I'm interested in the East Coast, specifically Jacksonville, Key West, Washington DC, and Virginia. I'm open to the West Coast too, but I've lived here my whole life and want a change of scenery. I'd like to hear experiences.

You can basically go anywhere where there is a Navy or Marine Corps base due to each of them having a public works office (CEC billet). For your first tour, you can do a facilities tour or go to a battalion. Depends on what's available when you go to OCS.

After that you get a preference sheet 1 year before you rotate from your current billet. You name 5 billets and 5 location that you want.

The billet that you get will be any from that list. Number 1 choice is not guaranteed. There is no rankings to go by and getting an extra qual will not guarantee your number 1 choice like in the SWO world. One thing that I've seen work, at least to get the battalion that you want, is having your public works officer call your detailer and vouch for you.

Sometimes detailers will make deals with people willing to take hardship tours like Diego Garcia or Djibouti (usually only 12 months long) in exchange for their number 1 choice.

I suggest going somewhere far from home while you're still young and not married. Go see the world. Get out of your comfort zone. Family is only a few flights away. Go to Europe or far east!

Let me know if you have anymore questions.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

How does it work? Where can officers get stationed? Where do most officers go?

I'm interested in the East Coast, specifically Jacksonville, Key West, Washington DC, and Virginia. I'm open to the West Coast too, but I've lived here my whole life and want a change of scenery. I'd like to hear experiences.

Have you already been accepted? the CEC officers that do your accessions interviews can answer many of these questions if you haven't talked with them yet.

I put in many CEC officers via OCS, out of all of them 2 went overseas for their first tour where there is lots of sand, one was sent to public works in 29 palms? the others either went to Battalion in San Diego or Gulfport, I lost track of many of them after their initial tours.

 

[beezgobuzz]

You can basically go anywhere where there is a Navy or Marine Corps base due to each of them having a public works office (CEC billet). For your first tour, you can do a facilities tour or go to a battalion. Depends on what's available when you go to OCS.

After that you get a preference sheet 1 year before you rotate from your current billet. You name 5 billets and 5 location that you want.

The billet that you get will be any from that list. Number 1 choice is not guaranteed. There is no rankings to go by and getting an extra qual will not guarantee your number 1 choice like in the SWO world. One thing that I've seen work, at least to get the battalion that you want, is having your public works officer call your detailer and vouch for you.

Sometimes detailers will make deals with people willing to take hardship tours like Diego Garcia or Djibouti (usually only 12 months long) in exchange for their number 1 choice.

I suggest going somewhere far from home while you're still young and not married. Go see the world. Get out of your comfort zone. Family is only a few flights away. Go to Europe or far east!

Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Thanks for your thorough reply. Personally for me I'd like to stay in the United States so I can have a BAH allowance (of course this would be different with a Battalion tour). I'd also want to start out doing PW/Facilities and not do Battalion until obtaining O3, just so I have ample Officer experience when leading others. Are the locations I listed somewhat common choices among officers? In general, are the detailers pretty good? What has your experiences been with selecting billets and locations?

 

[beezgobuzz]

Have you already been accepted? the CEC officers that do your accessions interviews can answer many of these questions if you haven't talked with them yet.

I put in many CEC officers via OCS, out of all of them 2 went overseas for their first tour where there is lots of sand, one was sent to public works in 29 palms? the others either went to Battalion in San Diego or Gulfport, I lost track of many of them after their initial tours.

Yes I've been accepted, and my accessions officer did tell me some info about location/billet selection. I figure I'd get more data here.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Yes I've been accepted, and my accessions officer did tell me some info about location/billet selection. I figure I'd get more data here.

ok, that makes sense, the person I sent to OCS who was sent to PW as a first tour was a rarity, the majority go right to Battalion, and the ones I put in that didn't go right to Battalion wished they had gone right to a Battalion, all but 1 of those I put in did a Battalion tour as one of their 2 tours in their first 5 ish years, each seemed to have a lot of good experiences. In what they described there weren't many people to lead in some of the other jobs like PW or contracting, one said they were one of 2 military in the office, not sure if that was an anomaly or not.

I don't know how the lateral transfer track differs from the OCS track, during the time I would take candidates to the CEC locations for tours I met lateral transfers from Sub, Surface, and aviation (med disqual I think) with each one in Battalion after their designator change.

 

[beezgobuzz]

ok, that makes sense, the person I sent to OCS who was sent to PW as a first tour was a rarity, the majority go right to Battalion, and the ones I put in that didn't go right to Battalion wished they had gone right to a Battalion, all but 1 of those I put in did a Battalion tour as one of their 2 tours in their first 5 ish years, each seemed to have a lot of good experiences. In what they described there weren't many people to lead in some of the other jobs like PW or contracting, one said they were one of 2 military in the office, not sure if that was an anomaly or not.

I don't know how the lateral transfer track differs from the OCS track, during the time I would take candidates to the CEC locations for tours I met lateral transfers from Sub, Surface, and aviation (med disqual I think) with each one in Battalion after their designator change.

What's the reason for them wishing they went right into a Battalion? Does it have to do with the time commitment or the location? Thanks for your input. Also, would you know what happens to Officers that get stationed in one city but have a project in a city far from that? Like with NAVFAC tours? Thanks again.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

There is or was a big drive to earn their pin right away, and that seems to be where most go anyway.

I am not entirely sure on NAVFAC, I have known 2 that have done NAVFAC tours now and neither talked about traveling on that tour or I just didn't notice it. I am sure there are instances where traveling is needed on tours other than Battalion tours.

 

[beezgobuzz]

There is or was a big drive to earn their pin right away, and that seems to be where most go anyway.

I am not entirely sure on NAVFAC, I have known 2 that have done NAVFAC tours now and neither talked about traveling on that tour or I just didn't notice it. I am sure there are instances where traveling is needed on tours other than Battalion tours.

Ah I totally forgot about the pin needed for O4. Is it hard to obtain?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

That is a question for a CEC officer who has recently obtained one, and I am sure each person's experiences are different.

 

[beezgobuzz]

That is a question for a CEC officer who has recently obtained one, and I am sure each person's experiences are different.

I see. Thanks for your replies!

 

[AllAmerican75]

In what they described there weren't many people to lead in some of the other jobs like PW or contracting, one said they were one of 2 military in the office, not sure if that was an anomaly or not.

Speaking with my CEC and NAVFAC (civilian) friends and acquaintances, this is pretty common. Same goes for us EDOs. We are the military technical representative to ensure the project goes smoothly and the Sailors and Government get a good finished product.

 

[roy359]

Thanks for your thorough reply. Personally for me I'd like to stay in the United States so I can have a BAH allowance (of course this would be different with a Battalion tour). I'd also want to start out doing PW/Facilities and not do Battalion until obtaining O3, just so I have ample Officer experience when leading others. Are the locations I listed somewhat common choices among officers? In general, are the detailers pretty good? What has your experiences been with selecting billets and locations?

Oh I gotcha. You should still get BAH in a battalion tour. You go to either MS, CA or VA to a battalion or phib.

There's lots of billets in those location that you mentioned.

My experience from billet selection has been okay. When I got picked to lateral transfer, it was either Bahrain or to a Marine Corps base in CA high up in the Sierras. My second and current billet was an east coast battalion vs my first choice of west coast battalion.

As mentioned above you will get minimal leadership experience or none at all in PW billets. You'll more than likely be a construction manager or APWO in your first navfac tour. You'll be more focus on meeting deadlines for the projects. The civilians around you will not be working for you and they will all be twice your age. You won't have seabees directly under you like in a battalion. Personally I would go battalion first. NAVFAC vs battalion tour is night and day.

I'm thankful that I have my SWO background to help me navigate through battalion right now. There are JOs showing up that are lost in the sauce and trying to adjust.

As far as the SCWs pin goes, it's not that hard if you put time and effort into it. You have to get 3 pqs books signed, 4 nkos online, a written test on the 3 books and an oral board/brief to the CO, XO and other officers. I'm about half way done through it and I've only been on board one and half month. They give you 18 months to qualify.

 

[beezgobuzz]

Oh I gotcha. You should still get BAH in a battalion tour. You go to either MS, CA or VA to a battalion or phib.

There's lots of billets in those location that you mentioned.

My experience from billet selection has been okay. When I got picked to lateral transfer, it was either Bahrain or to a Marine Corps base in CA high up in the Sierras. My second and current billet was an east coast battalion vs my first choice of west coast battalion.

As mentioned above you will get minimal leadership experience or none at all in PW billets. You'll more than likely be a construction manager or APWO in your first navfac tour. You'll be more focus on meeting deadlines for the projects. The civilians around you will not be working for you and they will all be twice your age. You won't have seabees directly under you like in a battalion. Personally I would go battalion first. NAVFAC vs battalion tour is night and day.

I'm thankful that I have my SWO background to help me navigate through battalion right now. There are JOs showing up that are lost in the sauce and trying to adjust.

As far as the SCWs pin goes, it's not that hard if you put time and effort into it. You have to get 3 pqs books signed, 4 nkos online, a written test on the 3 books and an oral board/brief to the CO, XO and other officers. I'm about half way done through it and I've only been on board one and half month. They give you 18 months to qualify.

Did you end up doing Bahrain or the Marine base? And thanks for enlightening me about the PW billets, I thought my rank would carry more weight being in charge of sailors (not in terms of like "look at my rank and suck it" but like "I'm experienced and can be trusted"). Are you at the Virginia battalion? I'd like to know more about what the day-to-day is for Platoon Commanders, since most of the available info (and from what I've heard), it's basically prep for the mission and do the mission. What's the officers' role in this? Glad to know the SCW pin is doable; I was under the impression it was hard. Thank you a lot for your insight. Hopefully I'm not annoying you with my questions, I'm just curious about how my life could look like the next few years.

 

[roy359]

Did you end up doing Bahrain or the Marine base? And thanks for enlightening me about the PW billets, I thought my rank would carry more weight being in charge of sailors (not in terms of like "look at my rank and suck it" but like "I'm experienced and can be trusted"). Are you at the Virginia battalion? I'd like to know more about what the day-to-day is for Platoon Commanders, since most of the available info (and from what I've heard), it's basically prep for the mission and do the mission. What's the officers' role in this? Glad to know the SCW pin is doable; I was under the impression it was hard. Thank you a lot for your insight. Hopefully I'm not annoying you with my questions, I'm just curious about how my life could look like the next few years.

I was at the Marine corps base. It was an awesome experience. Middle of nowhere, lots of hiking and learned how to ski.

They will know your new just based on you not having the golden bee on your uniform. They will test you and observe you when you come in. Do the best you can, volunteer for everything and prove you can be trusted and dependable. I highly suggest being seen by both by enlisted and khaki seabees. Go network, it will help you find who your SMEs are for SCWs. Rank doesn't really matter. They might respect your rank but not necessarily respect you yet. You gotta earn it. I'm at one of the battalions down in Gulfport. I would not recommend going ACBs or phibs.

I'm currently the headquarters company commander which is different from the line company (alfa, bravo and charlie). I have fleet rates mixed in with seabee rates. My current daily routine in homeport is you come in (right now at 0900 due to covid, usually 0630 then PT but none of this due to covid), check email, do taskers for the day (admin stuff like medical hit list, commanders update brief slide, ops sync and etc.), I usually then go and talk to my senior chief and synch up with him (what's new, any problems with the company and what needs to be fixed) then I go around and find someone not busy and do SCWs training, then lunch, then more training.

Currently we have a lot of down time because we just got done with 2 major exercises. We're about to reorg for deployment which means everyone will have different jobs. You usually get a different job everytime you reorg. One for deployment then one for homeport.

Usually when you're in homeport, you just take care of your seabees and lots of training and admin to get your readiness up for deployment. Come deployment then you split up into detachments and do construction around your AOR.

It's cool. I'm more than happy to help. I'm here to elevate you and make you better prepared. Makes mine and everyone else's job easier.